On Friday, a wild boar was captured and put down in Hong Kong after it bit two people outside the Lok King Street exit of Fo Tan MTR Station in Sha Tin district, shortly after 11:15 am. The victims of the attack were a 15-year-old boy and a woman. The teenager suffered a bite on his hand, while the woman was bitten on her leg. Both of them were taken to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin for treatment.
The incident prompted a response from the authorities, and officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department were called in to assist the police. After an intense search, the pursuit came to an end when the boar was shot with a tranquilliser gun on a slope off Fo Tan Road at approximately 1 pm. Unfortunately, the animal was later euthanized.
The euthanization of wild boars began in November 2021 due to a rise in the number of boar attacks on humans and their increasing presence in urban areas. This policy replaced the previous approach of capturing, sterilizing, and relocating the animals. Since then, the department has euthanized a total of 455 wild boars, estimating that there are about 2,500 of these animals in Hong Kong.
Throughout the year, there have been numerous sightings and nuisance reports related to wild boars, with an average of 94 per month reported in 2022. This trend has continued in 2023, with an average of 91 sightings and reports every month from January to April.
Experts have raised concerns about the “cruel” nature of the policy, considering the high number of wild boars being euthanized. Nevertheless, the authorities seem to be implementing it as a measure to mitigate the risks posed by these animals in densely populated urban areas like Hong Kong.